Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” (John 20: 26)

It was a highly unorthodox ritual to play out in the office. He asked his staff to stand in a circle around him. He then moved from one person to the next, called them by name, and said, “I grant you the authority to do your best work.” Then he asked each person to do the same: walk around the circle and commission his or her co-workers do to their best work.

He was leaving the company and his beloved staff after 25 years, and he knew they were fearful of the changes to come. It was his way of saying, “Peace be with you.”

The ironic thing about evolutionary beings is that they are very uncomfortable with change – sometimes even downright resistant to it. But Jesus – and the wise among us – tell us to act with confidence, come what may. Why? Because we believe the Spirit is with us and available to us each moment so that we may, in Saint John’s words “conquer the world” and all the fears and doubts it contains.